


Monsters Together

by Shane_for_Wax



Series: Pro Cerberus Shepard [9]
Category: Mass Effect
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-24
Updated: 2016-04-24
Packaged: 2018-06-04 07:23:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,012
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6647950
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shane_for_Wax/pseuds/Shane_for_Wax
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Another one-shot of an alternate universe where Commander Shepard and Kai Leng are partners as Shepard has allied herself with Cerberus.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Monsters Together

"You fight with no finesse to speak of, you give away your position at every turn. How is it you have survived for so long?" the tone was angry, curious, demanding all at once. A tone Shepard was far too familiar with, but from other mouths. 

"Because I was trained to do so from birth. Would you not say the same of yourself, Leng?" the biotic returned, gun locking home on her back as she continued through the scattered dead to her destination. 

The question gave the swordsman pause before stepping over a fallen Alliance soldier, a corporal or a private it didn't matter which. 

"I was a dog once. I bit whatever was in front of me. But I have evolved into something far more than that. I s'pose we could say the same o' you, Leng. I am an apex predator. I was made into such by the one I served before the Illusive Man ever existed in this galaxy."

The biotic stopped short when she heard Leng's footsteps cease as well. She turned to see he was only a foot or so behind her. He was looking at her, but she could not tell the reason why. Nor could she see exactly where his gaze was, courtesy of the visor he clung to for half as long as she had known him. 

"You would consider being a lower animal evolved from what you were born as?" 

"Human? I was never allowed to be. I was reminded of that every time I was locked away from everyone else my age. I would consider myself a predator inside of an apex predator. Or do you prefer the title of 'monster'? I seem to recall that term bandied about after you killed that krogan."

She had hit a nerve, judging by the curled lip that greeted her when she turned around again after relieving another dead soldier of their thermal clips. She knew she had limited time to plunge ahead with the discussion before Leng locked himself away like he tended to do when she hit upon topics he didn't like to discuss. 

So she turned and stepped back over the dead until she was mere inches from where Leng stood, his hand gripping the hilt of his sword tightly enough she knew his knuckles were white under the black gauntlets he wore. 

"If you are a monster, then what am I? If I am to be branded as such, then we should be monsters together. It is what we are. It is what everyone calls us. Because we do what they cannot bring themselves to do. That is their failing, not our own, Leng. I made the titles of dog and mutt my own. It became my shield, my armor."

"That is fine for you, Shepard. Even your very name brings to mind a dog, doesn't it? But that isn't what I am. I don't share your titles, Shepard."

Shane knew that was a lie. A damned good one, but a lie. 

"Would you prefer snake instead? Would that make you any fuckin' happier? You're as slippery as one, yet not quite like an eel. But of course we know how you return to the Illusive Man's side time and again like a faithful damn hound. Don't lie to yourself. Or to me. We're monsters, and we're animals, and we might as well accept it. Or at the very least, don't react how you do every time I use the word monster or snake or dog. You want to act like you have greater control over yourself than I have control of myself? _Then fucking prove it!_ You control yourself in front of the enemy as well as I'd expect but in front of me you reveal your true nature and feelings."

Sometimes she really wished he didn't wear that blasted visor. With a low growl, her biotics whirled and the visor unhinged before pulling away entirely from Leng's face. Blue eyes stared at her, a quiet fury emblazoned there just as she expected. Gripping the visor as it floated nearer, she closed the gap between them.

"Hide behind this piece of metal as much as you want, I know you better than that. Better than anyone. We are _linked_  you fuckin' _dummkopf_. And if anything I say makes you react in public as you do when it's just the two of us don't fuckin' blame me for it."

She placed the visor back on his face before leaning in to kiss him. Lightly at first, then harder. Each kiss became rougher than the last until she was nearly drawing blood with fierce nips and tugs of her teeth on his lips. Until she finally got a response out of him. The only response she was wanting and had been hoping for. He fought back just as she had been anticipating.

Blood dripped from wounds caused by nigh-identical fanged mouths. Gentle did not come easily to those born in carnage and baptized by killing.  

He could fight it as much as he wanted but in the end he was the same as her. As he reminded her of her inner humanity, so she reminded him of his inner beast. 

Sometimes you had to become a monster to save everything you ever gave a damn about. 

"If we are to be monsters, we're going to be as such _together_. That is my only fuckin' promise to you. Doubt everythin' else about me. But not my loyalty to another wolf." 

They had a job to do, the delay would not cost them as much as Leng might fear silently as they finished what they were tasked to do. 

Just as he kept her mind on the job, so she kept his mind on what made them unique and terribly good at what they did. 

A wolf did better with a pack, but they did just as much damage with just the two of them as a pack of them might have done if any had been deemed worthy enough of joining the pair. 


End file.
